


Independent much?

by Fishnoodles7



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha Kageyama Tobio, Alpha Kuroo Tetsurou, Alpha Sawamura Daichi, Alpha Tsukishima Kei, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Awkward Dates, Fluff, Help, How do I add my own tags, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Independence, Kissing, Lols, Lovely, M/M, My First Work in This Fandom, My best accomplishment so far, Not Beta Read, Omega Hinata Shouyou, Omega Sugawara Koushi, Omega Yamaguchi Tadashi, Omg I did it I've never felt so proud, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22987699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fishnoodles7/pseuds/Fishnoodles7
Summary: *implied rape! (bits and pieces of it here and there) Do not read if you are uncomfortable!*Yamaguchi does not need anyone. He has always been independent. He only needs his daughter, and everything would be alright.However, he soon faces the cold hard truth, that everything is difficult for him to handle alone. He is determine to make this work, but for how much longer?---Meanwhile Tsukishima Kei is determined to find that person whose scent was so wonderful and unique, that it makes his heart - flutter?Oh boy, now that's interesting.---Emiko Yamaguchi just wishes for someone to stand by her mother's side, to never let go, and to finally break down the wall of facade that her mother is struggling so hard to put up.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Yamaguchi Tadashi/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 127





	1. Chapter 1

Yamaguchi Tadashi didn't need anyone. He was fine on his own. He had proved it for 4 years. He had proved that he did not need an alpha.

  
All he needed in his life was his daughter, Emiko Yamaguchi.

  
Light footsteps could be heard as he turned his head around from washing the dishes. Emiko was hugging her blue bolster, rubbing her eyes tiredly with a free hand. Yamaguchi turned off the tap and dried his hands. He went over to pick up Emiko and carried her.

  
" What is it, darling? Nightmares again? " He cooed into her ear as he walked around the house.

  
Bright and big emerald eyes opened fully as Yamaguchi nuzzled her ash brown hair.

  
" Isn't mummy tired from work? I want mummy to sleep with me." she sighed as she placed her head into Yamaguchi's shoulder.

  
" Not yet, Emi, mummy has to do more things before sleeping, you should go back to sleep soon, don't you need to go to school tomorrow?"

  
" But mummy... "

  
" Okay, okay, I'll quickly do what I need to do, then I'll be with you, alright?" 

  
"Em." 

  
Yamaguchi began to walk back to their room, hugging her more tightly, singing her to sleep while smoothing out her shoulder-length hair. 

  
Once she was settled in bed again, Yamaguchi yawned. He should be getting sleep, actually, but the company was dealing with financial issues, so he had been staying up late.

  
He looked back at Emiko's peaceful face. Yamaguchi was barely holding it in together, dealing with work and all, but he kept convincing himself,

  
_It's alright, as long as Emiko's with you, it's going to be okay. You don't need anyone, Tadashi._

  
Yamaguchi will be alright, as long as he had Emiko Yamaguchi by his side.

  
**∾❃∾**

  
Tsukishima Kei was facing an existential crisis.

  
_Deep breath in and out, in and out_.

  
He came across a mysterious person yesterday, who had the nicest scent he had ever smelled. He blamed it on the fact that his father needed him to come home quickly, for he did not even catch a glimpse of the person.

  
He placed his glasses down on the table and rubbed his temples. 

  
_Whatever, if fate permits it, I'll definitely see them again._

  
For once, Tsukishima was looking forward to the future. 

  
**∾❃∾**

  
Saturday came pretty quickly, and Emiko was lazing around the house, waiting for her mother to return home from the convenience store. 

  
Her favourite television show was on, but her attention was not there. 

  
It was on a flyer that someone had slotted it under the door. 

  
_'Want a break? Then come to the Forest land Amusement Park! Bring along your family and be prepared to have the time of your lives!'_

  
It read. There was a photograph of a happy family on a roller coaster. 

  
She certainly didn't know what " _time of your lives_ " meant, but she deduced that it was fun. 

  
Emiko stared at it for a long time, her interest growing every second. She wanted to go there, she really really wanted-

  
However, in the end, she got up, tore the paper apart and threw it into the rubbish bin in the kitchen. 

  
**∾❃∾**

  
" Oh gosh, oh gosh, I'm so sorry-" Yamaguchi fumbled with his words as he struggled to take out his card. 

  
The cashier smiled and told him to take his time.

  
That did not help at all, and Yamaguchi's anxiety was growing every minute.

  
After tapping the card, he gave a brief 'thank you' and hurriedly rushed out of the convenience store.

  
" Oh gosh, that was sooooo embarrassing and stressful gah! I can't do this anymore! Maybe next time I should go to another store? What if the people there recognise me as a slowpoke and get annoyed at me? Oh no, oh no-"

  
A ring from his phone brought Yamaguchi back to reality. 

  
Glancing at the caller ID, he immediately picked it up.

  
" Hello? "

  
" Yamaguchi? Are you available right now? The office needs you here to help. "

  
" Ah, sorry sir, I'm a little busy... "

  
" Then could you make time? We desperately need you right now."

  
It was firm. Yamaguchi gulped. Panic rushed through his veins. 

  
" Alright, sir, I'll be right there as soon as possible "

  
The phone hangs out on the other end of the line. 

  
Yamaguchi felt a pang in his heart. He was supposed to spend the weekends with his daughter. 

  
_Sorry, Emi._

  
He called someone. 

  
" Yamaguchi? What's wrong?"

  
" Hello, Yachi! Are you free? "

  
" Yeah! What's wrong? Got some problems again?"

  
"I am so sorry... But I am needed in the office right now, could you help me take care of Emiko? I'm a little worried if I leave her alone for more than 2 hours."

  
"Of course, anything for you! But, do you mind if I bring Sugawara and Daichi san? They want to see Emiko!"

  
" Sure! Thank you so much, Yachi! "

  
" Hahaha! Anytime!"

  
With that, the call ended.

  
Yamaguchi gathered up his strength and rushed back home. He also made a mental note to make it up to Emiko one day.

  
**∾❃∾**

  
" Are you leaving again? " Emiko questioned her mother, big eyes peering from the top of the couch. She stared at her mother as he frantically ran around the house, packing his things. 

  
Yamaguchi nodded disappointedly.

  
" I'll be back before you know it, okay? Then I'll make it up to you!"

  
" Promise?" Emiko stuck out her pinky finger.

  
Smiling, Yamaguchi replied, " Promise!" He locked their pinkies together and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.

  
Emiko gave her mother a kiss back and Yamaguchi rushed out of the house - of course, after telling her that there were going to be visitors.

  
After Yamaguchi left, Emiko looked down to their small toes and fiddled her fingers. Her mother was worried. She could tell by the faint smell of pheromones that Yamaguchi was emitting unconsciously. She wished that her mother could relax a little. 

  
She wanted to help so much, but yet, she could only stand on the sidelines, watching everything slowly play out.

  
_H...how I wish... That there was someone for mummy..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfictiom in this community so I'm pretty hype!
> 
> Anyways, constructive criticism is appreciated, thank you so much for reading, and have a good day!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dhwidjow honestly I didn't even expect myself to get 15 kudos? What? Thank you guyss :)
> 
> Oh ya, just a heads up :
> 
> Sugawara : Omega
> 
> Daichi : Alpha
> 
> Yachi : Beta
> 
> Tsukishima : Alpha
> 
> Yamaguchi : Omega
> 
> Emiko : ??

" How does Emiko look like, Yachi? " Sugawara Koshi questioned.  


  


" Well, I mean, the last time I saw them was when Emiko was a baby, but Yamaguchi sends me photos of her! She looks really peaceful and cute! Makes me wanna have a child too, hehe!" Yachi Hitoka replied back.

  


" Wow! I really can't wait! What about you, Dachi?"

  


" Of course I'm excited! This is the first time we're meeting her! " Daichi Sawamura chuckled.

  


" Yeah! I can't wait to give her these toys that I bought! "

  


The three continued conversing as they drove to the small apartment.

  


Sugawara practically jogged up the stairs to the level of Yamaguchi's apartment, with Dachi following suit.

  


Yachi, on the other hand, was breathless.

  


" W... Wait for me guys... It's really bad luck that the lift had to a breakdown today..." she uttered between breaths.

  


Giggling, Sugawara motivated her to continue climbing and soon enough, they reached the sixth floor.

  


They stopped in front of Yamaguchi's apartment. It looked gorgeous from the outside, having a few attractive potted plants placed here and there.

  


" If I'm not wrong, the key should be somewhere around.... " she lifts up a mini potted plant among the rest and picked up a silver key. "Here!"

  


" Ready?" she asked.

  


The two nodded their heads in sync.

  


She slotted the key into the keyholder and opened the door.

  


**∾❃∾**

  


Emiko, on the other hand, had totally forgotten about the visitors.

  


So, you could imagine her pertified face when the door was unlocked half an hour later, and it did not smell like her mother.

  


A million thoughts went through her head as the door creaked open.

  


3 strangers popped in.

  


" Ah! Emiko-chan?" a feminine voiced call out.

  


How did she know her name?

  


As the three people surrounded her, she felt intimated. The scent was different. 

  


Her nose felt sour.

  


They were talking, but she was not listening.

  


" Hic... Hic..." she took deep breaths in as she tried to control her breathing, but to no avail.

  


Soon enough, she started sobbing quietly.

  


**∾❃∾**

  


Yachi was panicking.

  


She never expected Emiko to cry.

  


" Er... What did we do?" Sugawara asked, stepping back. He was at a loss for words.

  


" I have no idea," Yachi replied, watching Emiko furiously wipe her tears away.

  


" Wait, let me call Yamaguchi. " Dachi answered him, whipping up his phone and scrolling through his contacts.

  


It was awhile before Yamaguchi picked up.

  


" Hello? Daichi san?"

  


" Hey, Yamaguchi? Did you... tell Emiko that we were coming?"

  


" Ah! Yes! I did - oh my gosh, I forgot to tell her how you guys looked like! It totally slipped my mind! I'm so sorry, she doesn't do well around strangers when I'm not there, could I talk to her?"

  


Daichi walked up slowly, pressed the call on speaker and laid it down in front of Emiko.

  


" Emiko? My darling? Can you hear me? Emiko? "

  


Emiko, upon hearing her mother's voice, stopped crying.

  


Her voice was shaky as she muttered, " Mummy? "

" Emiko, don't cry, don't cry, okay? They are the people here to see you, so don't cry, please? "

  


" Mummy... Come home... Come home...please? "

  


" I will soon, Emiko, just hang out with aunty and uncle first, okay?"

  


" But mummy..."

  


" I'll be home very soon, Emi, then we can play together, alright? "

  


" Fine... "

  


" Awesome, Emiko, now- "

  


" Yamaguchi? What are you doing? You are supposed to be printing these! "  
A background voice could be heard.

  


" A... Ah! On it! On the way right now! "

  


" Bye Emiko! Love you! Sorry for the trouble, Yachi, Sugawara and Daichi san! "

  


Before anyone could reply, the call ended.

  


Emiko glanced up at them.

  


Sniffing, she muttered a 'sorry' and wiped her tears.

  


The adults heaved a sigh of relief, at least now she was calm.

  


" That was stressful! " Daichi whispered before getting hit in the stomach as Sugawara.

  


" Ouch! "

  


Sugawara took out a tissue packet from his pocket and passed her a tissue while signalling Yachi to go and grab a random cup to fill it with water.

  


" It's okay, Emiko. We're your mummy's friends from highschool."

  


**∾❃∾**

  


Friends? Emiko thought.

  


\---

  


_" Mummy, do you have friends?" Emiko wondered._

  


_" Of course I have, Emiko! Why?"_

  


_" I want to see and play with them when you are not here. I'm alone. "_

  


_" Maybe next time? I don't want to trouble them... "_

  


_" Huh? "_

  


_" I mean, they're really busy these days so they can't make it!"_

  


_" All of my friends get to meet nice people..." Emiko pouted._

  


_" Okay, okay, one day, alright? "_

  


_" Hmm. "_

  


\---

  


Actually, at that time, Emiko really did not believe her mother when he said he had friends. She never really saw them. Every time he would decide to leave her alone for less than an hour, rushing outside and coming back.

  


She played her new toys with Uncle Suga, _was that his name?_ , and Uncle Daichi, they had an enjoyable time. Aunty Yachi bought cakes, which was scrumptious.

  


" Why don't you come here more, Uncle Suga?"

  


" Well, I really wish to, Emiko, but I've also been super busy with work... Same goes for Uncle Daichi and Aunty Yachi. "

  


" Just like mummy!" Emiko sat up straight on Sugawara's lap, causing him to flinch.

  


" Mummy don't play with me anymore! Come home late! I'm very sad. " The green eyes stared into Sugawara's eyes filled with sadness, and Sugawara couldn't help but feel hurt.

  


" Your mummy must have reasons, Emiko. He tries really hard to make time for you, you know? "

  


" I know... "

  


" Come on, you know what? Why don't I buy you and your mummy tickets to the amusement park? The Forest land amusement Park, was it? You guys can have fun there! "

  


" I don't want to go there... "

  


Sugawara was surprised. As far as he knew, it was already very popular among kids and adults despite it being opened a few days prior.

  


" I just want to play with mummy at the park there. " Emiko pointed straight to the window.

  


" Huh? That one?"

  


" Yeah, there. "

  


Sugawara nodded his head. That park opposite the apartment didn't really have a lot of people That was totally unexpected, but he decided he should not question it.

  


They spent the rest of the day laughing and watching 'My Little Pony', and all four of them bonded very well that day.

  


That was the first time that Emiko did not feel lonely in the empty small apartment.

  


**∾❃∾**

  


" Huh? What do you mean 'change workplaces'? No way! In your dreams, Kuroo. " Tsukishima huffed and looked away.

  


" Oya, Oya, Oya? You aren't really allowed to have a say in this bro, your dad decided it, " Kuroo Tetsuro sighed as he slumped on the soft maroon coloured couch.

  


" I'm being dragged along with you, by the way, along with Bokuto Kotaro and Akaashi Keiji. Do you know how long I need to take to travel to the new place? Ugh! Worst. Day. Of. My. Life! "

  


" And remind me who's paying you?" Tsukishima retorted back.

  


" Bleh!" Kuroo stuck out his tongue in front of Tsukishima.

  


" Childish. "

  


" Fine, whatever you say, Mr cold-hearted 'President'. You're still gonna have to go there... "

  


" Ugh. " Tsukishima took off his glasses and pinch the bridge of his nose. He was definitely not looking forward to this.

  


A chime from Kuroo's phone shifted their attention. Kuroo turned on his phone and looked at the notification.

  


" Oh! I've got to go, got a date tonight! See you soon and, heh, good luck with your work! " Kuroo pointed at the stack of papers on the desk.

  


He made a kissy-face before darting out of the door.

  


Tsukishima gave a small waved before Kuroo left. He felt really fed up about his assistant.

  


This friend of mine, really, how many dates does he have?

  


**∾❃∾**

  


Yamaguchi was drained. He yawned as he walked home. Yeah, it's only been four hours, but the four hours included him going around and running errands for others.

  


The lift was under maintenance, which definitely made things _way_ better.

  


Feeling mentally and physically exhausted, he opened the door, to see Daichi, Sugawara and Yachi playing dolls with Emiko.

  


" Mummy!" Emiko got up and ran towards him, hugging his leg tightly.

  


" Oof!" Yamaguchi held the doorknob to prevent himself from falling.

  


He suddenly felt recharged upon seeing his daughter, as if he did not go to work at all. He placed his bag on the side of the door as he closed it, and carried Emiko.

  


" I missed you," He kissed Emiko's nose and started to scent mark her.

  


Emiko hummed in pleasure. It had been quite a while since she had been scented.

  


" Welcome home, Yamaguchi-Kun!" Yachi greeted him with a bright smile.

  


" Thank you guys so much for taking care of Emiko!" He grinned back. " Did she cause trouble?" he poked the tip of Emiko's nose lightly which caused her to chuckle in his chest.

  


" Not at all! She's actually a really good girl! Very obedient... " Daichi answered.

  


" Awesome! Sorry for the trouble in the beginning though, it was definitely my fault. "

  


The rest comforted him, saying that it was alright and that that did not really mind.

  


" Do you guys want to stay for dinner? I'll go make some! It's been a while since we ate together, anyway. " Yamaguchi placed Emiko gently down onto the couch and walked towards the kitchen.

  


The guests looked at each other and nodded their head in agreement. Upon seeing that, Yamaguchi began preparing the ingredients.

  


" Aren't you tired, Yamaguchi? You just came home, after all, let me do it instead. " Daichi offered.

  


" No thanks, you guys are the guests, I should be the one serving you guys."

  


" But-"

  


" No buts, Dachi san, I'll do it." Yamaguchi said firmly.

  


Sighing, he gave up. It was a lost cause to argue with Yamaguchi when he was this stubborn.

  


**∾❃∾**

  


During dinner, they chatted away their problem and fun times they had during work, which made Yamaguchi reminisce about the olden days when they would just talk after school. He really missed the strong camaraderie that they had shared.

  


Maybe he should make it a point to see them more often. He blamed it on his job, always making him so busy and exhausted.

  


Time flew by quickly, and soon, the guests had to leave. The omega and beta gave Yamaguchi a bear hug and he returned it.

  


He gave the alpha a brief shake of the hands. " Sorry... I'm still not..."

  


" Nevermind that, Yamaguchi-kun, take your time! No rush! "

  


" Yeah..." he gave a half-smile.

  


" Bye-bye Aunty and Uncles!" Emiko came up from behind Yamaguchi's leg and gave them a big wave.

  


" Bye Emiko! " they chorus together before Yamaguchi closed the door behind them.

  


**∾❃∾**

  


" Where do you want to go tomorrow, Emi? "

  


Yamaguchi raised a question as he laid on the bed besides Emiko.

  


" I wanna go to the park, play the playground!" Emiko enthusiastically replied.

  


" Again? Don't you wanna go somewhere else? Like the shopping mall? Amusement Park?"

  


" Then... I want to go shopping!"

  


" Oh? Sure, then let's go get some ice cream after that, hm?"

  


" Yay! Ice cream! "

  


" Mummy, I want a bedtime story!"

  


Yamaguchi got up and turned to her. " Which one? "

" I don't know..."

  


" Psh, I'll make up one, okay? "

  


" Hm! "

  


By 10 at night, Emiko fell asleep, huddling against Yamaguchi, who was wondering how he got such an incredible girl as his daughter.

  


**∾❃∾**

  


Feeling energised in the morning, Yamaguchi woke Emiko up and did their morning routine. Yamaguchi then went to do some of the household chores while Emiko watched the television and play with the toys Sugawara gave.

  


At around 2 in the afternoon, they set off, taking public transport to the nearby shopping mall.

  


" Wahhh!" Emiko was appalled by how big the shopping mall was. It had just undergone renovations and the place looked totally foreign.

  


Yamaguchi gulped. He hoped that they would not get lost. Gripping Emiko's hand tighter, they entered the mall. A gentle breeze greeted the two of them and he immediately felt Emiko dragged him to a nearby shop.

  


Flashing a grin, he just allowed his daughter to drag him around for the rest of the day.

  


**∾❃∾**

  


Despite everything, Yamaguchi stepped out of the mall with just a soft, seal plushie in his hands. Emiko really did not seem to like anything.

  


Emiko skipped until she was tired, and started to walk slower. Yamaguchi gazed upwards as the colour of the sky slowly turned into amber colour, signalling that it has been around 5 hours since they had stepped into the mall.

  


They decided to not take public transport and go for a digestion walk, seeing as they had just eaten a full meal.

  


Yamaguchi took in a deep breath of fresh air, drowning himself in the serenity of the environment.

  


Walking down a deserted pavement, Yamaguchi's nose suddenly sniffed out something strange.

  


He stopped for a moment, causing those big emerald eyes to watch him curiously.

  


Yamaguchi could not help it. Something smelled pleasant.

  


Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he walked off the track.

  


**∾❃∾**

  


" Mummy..."

  


He felt a tug of his hand and his attention immediately went back to Emiko.

  


" Oh! Wait. Sorry, Emiko, Mummy just got distracted..."

  


Emiko smelled uncertainty filling the air as her mummy picked her up, and walked back to where they were just now immediately.

  


Yamaguchi was on high alert as he glanced around nervously, waiting for something to pop up.

  


Then... 

  


He felt it.

  


He briefly turned around, nearly dropping Emiko in the process.

  


But he was too late.

  


The grip was too strong.

  


Panic pumped through his veins.

  


A drunken alpha was smiling creepily him.

  


_Alpha._

  


_Run._

  


_Run!_

  


His instincts nagged and urged him to run away, but he could not. He was not strong enough to pull away.

  


The more desperate he became, the tighter the grip was.

  


_No._

  


_I'm scared_.

  


" Oh? My my my~ what's an Omega like you doing here?" The male alpha panted with ecstasy.

  


" Let me go! I have a daughter!" Yamaguchi yelled as he struggled to kick him away. He could feel Emiko's scent. She was going to cry.

  


" And yet you're not mated?" The Alpha pushed him down. Emiko whined from the impact, grazing her knee.

  


The Alpha loomed over him, as the pheromones of an Alpha who wanted to dominate him filled the air.

  


His eyes widened and he held his breath.

  


Yamaguchi's worst fear.

  


_Come here, little omega._

  


He was petrified. Everything he wanted to say was gone in a second. Emiko was wailing as she pulled her mother.

  


_No._

  


_No._

  


_Escape._

  


" Go away!" Emiko spat out between sobs, her pulls becoming more frantic.

  


" Why you little-!"

  


**∾❃∾**

  


" Yeah. I'm just gonna familiarise with the area, Nii-san. Don't get all worked up. I'm an alpha, I can protect myself. " Tsukishima spoke through the phone as he walked around.

  


After some reapeated reminders from his brother to stay safe, he could finally have some peace.

  


He looked around. If this was where he was going to work for the next few months, he should at least know the area where he was going to be at.

  


He should have told Kuroo to come with him.

  


_Wait, no. That was a horrible decision, he would make things worst._

  


He was enjoying the cool breeze as he placed his headphones back into his head, humming the tune quietly.

  


In the midst of everything, something still managed to catch his attention.

  


_Was it an Alpha?_

  


_Yeah, it probably was._

  


_Whatever, I couldn't care less-_

  


_Wait a minute. It smells familiar._

  


Even though he did not want it, his legs picked up the pace.

  


He walked cautiously, keeping an eye out.

  


It was when he took a turn around a block, he saw it.

  


A green-hair man was on the floor, fear written across his face. A little girl was beside him, crying.

  


" Go away!" She screamed. Tuskishima did not think she would do that.

  


However, the way the Alpha looked at him made something in Tsukishima growl.

  


_So..._

  


_Annoying!_

  


**∾❃∾**

  


" Why you little-!" The man raised his hand menacingly.

  


" Pathetic. "

  


Dominant pheromones filled the air as the Alpha's hand was caught mid-air.

  


" Wha-? "

  


" Fucking pathetic."

  


Tsukishima gave a blow to his stomach.

  


The man took the impact and flew backwards.

  


Tsukishima has never felt so satisfied upon hearing the noise of the impact.

  


" What's your problem, huh?"

  


Honestly, Tsukishima did not know as well. He did not know that he could get so agitated to begin with.

  


_Really, why was he caring so much?_

  


_Why?_

  


The Alpha in him roared as he took a step forward and blocked an incoming punch.

  


He twisted the wrist and growled, which earned a grunt from the other Alpha.

  


" Don't you dare touch him again."

  


He pushed him onto the ground

  


" W-what? He's not even there anymore!"

  


Swiftly turning around, he realised that the man was right.

  


The green-haired man and the little girl was nowhere in sight.

  


**∾❃∾**

  


Yamaguchi slammed the door behind him and slide down against the wall.

  


" It's alright, it's alright." His breath hitch so he hugged Emiko tightly.

  


_Just submit,_ _omega._ _Why struggle?_

  


" Mama..." Emiko hugged her mummy, shaking as Yamaguchi kept scenting her over and over again.

  


" Are you okay, Emiko? " he looked at her scraped knee.

  


" I'm sorry, Emiko, I'm sorry Emiko, if I hadn't gotten distracted this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm really really sorry, mummy's sorry, Emiko, it's my fault, it's my fault..."

  


Yamaguchi cried into Emiko's shoulder as Emiko stayed silent.

  


She slowly patted Yamaguchi's back as she recovered from the shock.

  


When that tall man punched the man, Yamaguchi instantly picked her up started running away. 

  


Her mummy was scared, so she felt scared as well.

  


Tears also welled up her eyes soon enough, but she kept it in as her breath hitched.

  


_It's okay, mummy said it was okay, so it_  
_will be okay._

  


_It will be okay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I guess they have met? 😶
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading this, constructive criticism is appreciated, and have a good day!


	3. Chapter 3

Yamaguchi lulled Emiko to sleep after settling her in. He had applied ointment on her wound, and watching her sleeping so soundly, he felt even more guilty. 

_Honestly, I'm so weak. I cried like an idiot while my daughter watched. So embarrassing! I've got to hide my emotions better._

_Maybe if I had actually practised more self-defence moves, we would be okay... Heh, I definitely did not learn from my past experiences._

He sighed into his hands, massaging his face. 

_It took me a great deal of my efforts to get up and run away from the pheromones. Oh boy, if that guy did not-_

_Wait._

_Oh no!_

Yamaguchi stared, mouth agape. He had absolutely forgotten to thank that guy! 

He groaned. 

" Just great, what a nice person you are, Tadashi, running away like a coward," he mumbled sarcastically. 

" Whatever, when I see him again, I need to remember to thank him!" he said, determined. 

Just for good measure, he kept repeating it to himself until he fell asleep. 

**∾❃∾**

Yamaguchi guessed that fate really wanted them to meet. 

It was after work the next day, and Yamaguchi wanted to get some milk pudding for Emiko, to surprise her when he picked her up from kindergarten. 

_I wonder if there's still some left..._

He turned around the corner of the shelves in the convenience shop, hands tracing the different items placed on each shelves. 

Yamaguchi was relieved when there was only one container of milk pudding left, but when he rushed to grab it, he knocked into someone. 

" Oomph," He supported himself, dropping the pudding container while doing so.

" I'm so sorry!" He immediately starting bowing. 

When he looked up again, he saw sharp eyes looking at him. 

The same eyes as yesterday. 

Yamaguchi remembered. He pointed at him as he jumped back. 

" Y-you! Guy! Guy who saved us! You! T-T-thank you!" He blurted the words out. 

Oh gosh, I'm making a fool out of myself... 

"...Nice scent..." 

" I'm sorry?" Yamaguchi did not catch what the man said. 

" Ah. The guy who ran away." 

" I'm sorry about that! I was panicking at that time! U... Uh... Uhhhhhhh... "

The man picked up the fallen pudding cup.

" Here."

" T... Thank you, " Yamaguchi grabbed the pudding container. There was silence in the air. 

Yamaguchi panicked. _This was his saviour! What was he doing, knocking into him?_

" Hey... Why don't I treat you to a cup of tea at my house?"

The stranger raised his left eyebrow.

" Sure. "

" Let me pay for this first..."

The stranger said nothing.

Awkward tension was present in the air as Yamaguchi walked to the cashier. It was when he was paying did the realisation hit him.

He invited a stranger to his house.

A stranger.

_Well, not exactly a stranger... Maybe an acquaintance? No, let's just stick to 'stranger'._

Now that he thought about it, he could have just treated him tea at a nearby cafe.

He said all those on an impulse, he was not being rational at all! Yamaguchi smacked himself in the head internally.

He could reschedule it to another day, but wouldn't that be bothersome? 

" Don't you have scent patches? Your scent is wandering around everywhere."

Yamaguchi shivered as the voice suddenly whispered in his ear.

Covering his ear, he jumped back and whispered, " T... That scared me, you know!"

_What was this beta's problem?_

He missed the stranger's smirk as he turned around and requested for scent patches as well. He really needed to start jolting down things, he was so forgetful! It had been two weeks since he had ran out of scent patches.

**∾❃∾**

" Come again!" 

Yamaguchi exited the store with the stranger walking behind him. 

" Oh, right, I need to go pick my child up, do you mind?" 

He swore he saw the change in the stranger's face. It wasn't that obvious, but it changed. 

" No." 

" Awesome! Let's go!" 

As they walked, the stranger brought up the question of his child, and Yamaguchi eagerly used the rest of the time rambling on about Emiko. 

" You're going to love her!" He grinned as he picked up the pace and walked towards the school. 

**∾❃∾**

_Mummy was late._

She sat at the entrance of the school, craning her neck and looking around. 

" Ah! Papa and mama are here!"

A voice beside her exclaimed with joy, and she turned her head around to find her best friend, Hanimi Morisa, getting up. Sweeping the dirt off her skirt, she smiled. 

" Bye Emiko!" 

Emiko waved farewell to her and gazed on as Hanimi got hugs and left, hands holding onto her parents. 

She gazed on for a bit longer, till-

" Emiko!" the familiar voice immediately got her attention. Whipping her head around, she got up and wanted to run to her mummy, but then, she saw him. 

He looked familiar, but she could not remember. He was looking at her mummy. 

Her mummy helped her carry her bag and introduced her to the man. 

" Emi, look! This is the guy who helped us! See?" 

Emiko stared at the man, eyes widened with curiosity. 

" H-hello..." she muttered uncertainly. 

" Hello there..." He gave a small smile. 

She did not know how to feel about him. Before she was allowed to have a second thought, a milk pudding container appeared in front of her. 

Her mummy was handing her her favourite dessert. 

" Here, Emi, enjoy!" 

Eyes glistening in the sunlight, she reached out for the pudding and immediately open the lid, popping off the plastic spoon stuck to the underside of the lid and dug into it. 

With her mother's hand always behind her back, they started to walk back home. 

All the while, the stranger kept a distance between them. 

**∾❃∾**

" Sorry, we don't really have much..." Yamaguchi smiled sheepishly as he served a cup of lukewarm honey lemon tea to the stranger. 

He stared at it for a while, before thanking him. 

" Oh, yeah! What's your name? Mine's Tadashi. Yamaguchi Tadashi!"

" Kei. Tsukishima Kei. "

" That names reminds me of Tsukki! "

" I'm sorry?" 

" Oh! Right, there was this one time - super long time ago - I watched this show, it's really nice by the way, and like, the main character is called Tsukki! Tsukki's really cute, ah, the character, I mean, ah, it's the best show ever! "

" Cool. Never heard of it."

" Yeah... It's kinda an unpopular show... "

" You can call me that if you want... "

" Eh? Really? That's great then, Tsukki! " Yamaguchi had thought that Tsukki would get offended. 

" Hm. "

They talked for awhile more, enjoying each others presence, till Tsukki glanced at his watch and got up. 

" Thanks for the tea, but I've got to go. "

" Ok! Let me see you out! "

As they walked to the door, Tsukki stopped in his tracks as he spotted a picture of Yamaguchi and Emiko in a frame by the television. 

" Are you guys the only ones in this household?" He curiously questioned. 

Yamaguchi tensed up a little. 

" Yeah... Er... Yeah... "

" Oh. Cool." 

He took out his phone and asked for his number, with the intention of being friends. Yamaguchi, of course, thought that it would be great to expand his social circle with this beta, and within less than a minute, they have saved each other's contact.

" Bye-bye..." Emiko went up to him, both hands reaching out to give him a high-five.

Looking at Yamaguchi for approval to touch her, Yamaguchi nodded his head. 

" Bye... Emiko." Tsukki squatted down to return her the high-five.

**∾❃∾**

" I like uncle," Emiko started off.

Yamaguchi knew. Emiko would not be so courageous to initiate physical contact with someone, even more so if she had just been with them for a day. He had thought that she would be terrified, given his tall height, but she did not seem uncomfortable, unlike the other time with Yachi. 

Yamaguchi had to admit, that guy... even though he had that one stonic facial expression most of the time, he did not have a bad feeling about him. He seemed... nice. There was a comforting and confident aura around him as well, and already, Yamaguchi hoped that they could meet again. 

" Well, I like him too, but... I like you more!" Yamaguchi started tickling her and Emiko squeals of laughter could be heard reverberating around the living house.

Throughout all that, Yamaguchi failed to realised that he had three missed calls.

**∾❃∾**

" Why didn't you pick up the phone yesterday? "

Cold, sharp eyes were staring at him. The scent was suffocating. His was petrified, even though he had prepared himself mentally over and over again. 

A chill went down his spine.

" Sorry, sir, I just missed it..."

" You know how important your role is, right? You signed the contract, you know that have to be on your toes." The voice sighed. 

" Whatever, I'm just going to let you off this time, since you did help quite abit during the financial crisis. Don't you repeat it, alright? "

" Yes sir! "

" Leave. "

Yamaguchi scurried out of the door. 

_It's okay, he cannot touch you, Tadashi, relax_. 

He felt like the biggest idiot for leaving his phone on silent, even worse when he saw it and panicked in the morning, messing up his whole routine and yet not even daring to return the call. 

Heh, sounds very typical of him. 

His had a surprise waiting for him when he got back to the desk, anyways, for a short messy haired guy was waiting eagerly for him.

" YA.MA.GU.CHI-KUN!" He exclaimed, earning annoyed glances and whispers from others.

" Hinata-kun? You're back?" Yamaguchi eyes widened , waving at him.

Hinata Shouyou bounced happily as he enveloped Yamaguchi into a hug. 

" How was your honeymoon? With Kageyama-kun? "

" Yep yep! And it was awesome! Maldives was absolutely stunning! That bakayama actually wanted to go somewhere else for our honeymoon, but luckily, I persisted with my choice and we decided to go there! Thank goodness, lemme tell you, Bakayama makes the worst choices! "

Yamaguchi laughed, " Haha, you really did enjoy yourself! "

" Of course! Hey... " Hinata wriggled his eyebrows. " Have you found 'the one' yet? "

" What? No! I've been too busy these days! Plus, who would want someone like me? "

" Come on, Yamaguchi-kun, we're 23! Still young! Who wouldn't want someone as kind-hearted as you? "

" You're only saying that because you are married already! Well, obviously, you and Kageyama-kun are childhood friends! It was already an open secret that you guys were going to get together one day! "

" But still... Come on Yamaguchi-kuunnn... There's still so much opportunities to find love! Stop stressing out and focusing on your work! "

" Okay, okay, when I'm free, I'll give it a shot, alright? "

" Don't say that to try and fool me! You're never free! "

" That's the point, Hinata-kun, you already know that I have to take care of Emiko as well... "

" Ughhh, hm... Why don't you go on a blind date? "

" Blind date? Seriously? "

" Yeah! I know this really good place where people go on blind dates, I could help you set one up! "

Yamaguchi was sceptical. It could go horribly wrong, or it could be the best thing that has ever happened to him. 

" Hm..." Yamaguchi wanted to decline, to save Hinata the trouble, but oh boy, Hinata was giving him ' the eyes'. 

Oh, those pleading, puppy eyes. 

No wonder Kageyama, no matter but much he tried, could not resist Hinata's choices. 

Rolling his eyes, he reluctantly agreed. 

Hinata's face immediately brightened up and promised to call Yamaguchi as soon as he had found a date. 

" Haha! You know, when I heard about the crisis, I was worried that I was going to get fired when I got back since I did not do much and was enjoying myself. But... I guess the gods are on my side! Woo! Still get the keep the job! " Hinata turned back to log onto his laptop. 

" Luckyyy.... I was being pushed around... But... I pushed through in the end! " Yamaguchi whispered in envy, hoping that no one heard it. 

" Well, I guess we still need to appreciate it, omegas like us don't come across job opportunities like this often..." 

Nodding his head in agreement, he turned to his laptop and started working. 

**∾❃∾**

" Ew, no way, stop it, Nii-san, what are you, a messager boy?" 

" Come on, Kei, just do it. Mom and Dad are bringing up the topic again. "

Kei scowled. He had just started working as the president for one of his father's companies for a few years, and yet his parents were bugging him to get a partner. Something about letting a child inherit the company? He was that certain he heard that wrongly. 

With a deadpan expression, he replied," Okay, if I promise to go on one, will they stop bothering me?" 

" Totally, I guess..." 

"I'll give it a shot, but don't blame me if it doesn't work out..." 

" Nice, Kei! Goodbye!" 

" Bye..." 

Putting down the phone, he sighed. He felt really unwilling to go on dates. The only person he wanted to go on dates was with-

No. It would be too awkward. Asking for courtship would be weird if you have just met the person once or twice. 

It just did not make sense. 

" Yoooo Tsukishima, I've got what you needed..." Kuroo entered the office, holding stacks of papers. 

Plopping them down on the desk, he stretched his back as he looked around the empty room. 

" So empty, Tsukishima, why don't you put your dinosaur figurines in here? "

" Nah, things like that don't belong in the office, just like you and your dating tal -" 

He bit his tongue and held his words as an idea popped into his head. 

" Hey... Do you mind helping me set-up a date? A blind one, preferably, then I won't have to go through all that trouble finding an appropriate one. "

" Oya? Can't believe this! Is Tsukishima, the Tsukishima Kei, actually asking me to help him set-up a date? How unexpected! I think there's something wrong with our time line if you - "

" Shut up, Kuroo, so noisy. " He threw a pencil at him, in which Kuroo swiftly dodged. 

Giving him an 'okay' sign, he promised he'll make the experience unforgettable. 

" You better. " He said. 

Honestly, Tsukishima just wants to get it over and done with. 

**∾❃∾**

Hinata : Heyoooo ＼(≧▽≦)／

Yamaguchi : Hellooo ( ´ ▽ ' )

Hinata : Do you remember about the place that I told you about? The blind date one! 

Yamaguchi : You found one? 

Hinata : Yepyep! I have this friend of mine that recommended me this place where people usually go for blind dates. It's cheap and affordable, plus, he had that the food there is to DIE for!! o(≧▽≦)o

Yamaguchi : Haha, then sign me up! 

Hinata : All done already, I signed you up to table 10. I'll send you the location later and details! ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

Yamaguchi : Alright, thank you so much!! Let me treat you to lunch tomorrow! (´･ᴗ･ ' )

Hinata : No problem! Talk to you laterrr, I got to go! Bye! 

Yamaguchi : Byeee! 

Putting down the phone, looked at Emiko, who was dozing off at his side. 

" Come on, let's get you to bed, " He whispered, shifting her and placing her on top of her pillow. 

" Is mummy going somewhere?" she asked drowsily, barely opening an eye. 

Of course she would be tired, it was way past her bedtime. 

" For a few hours only my darling, Grandma will come to hang out with you, okay?"

" Mmm... Have fun, mummy... "

Smiling softly, he gave a peck on Emiko's forehead, before head out of the bedroom to continue doing the household chores. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The covid-19 situation is getting worse... Stay safe everyone 😊
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated!! Thank you for reading and have a great day! :3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Okay, so I kinda did a little research on the different types of Janpanese food since I’m not really familiar with it... so please tell me if I made a mistake somewhere!

The light seeped through the baby blue curtains of the bedroom. Lying on the bed, Yamaguchi stretched his arms and leg, yawning. Emiko followed suit, landing on her back and gazed at him. It was around noon, and Yamaguchi had to get ready for the blind date. He stared blindly at the ceiling and wished that he did not have to go. He felt so lazy to even step out of his house.

The only thing that got him moving was Hinata's lastest text to him, to remind Yamaguchi that he should be getting ready.

Yamaguchi opened the closet and scanned through the clothes he had. He did not really have many options, he spent most of his hard-earned money to buy items for Emiko, even though Emiko had told him multiple times that she did not want anything.

Eyes landing on two particular shirts, Yamaguchi reached his hand inside and took them out by the hangers.

" Emi, which shirt?" Yamaguchi asked, turning to her.

" Blue! The blue one!"

She sat upright instantly and pointed repeatedly at the striped, baby blue, button-up shirt that Yamaguchi was holding with his right hand.

Upon hearing Emiko's opinion, he went on to put on the shirt. He felt that it complimented with the off-black jeans that he was planning to wear. He left the last button out, he tucked the shirt loosely into the jeans and accompanied it with a silver belt.

He looked at the body length mirror again and nodded to himself.

_Yes, this looks pretty nice. Good choice, Tadashi._

To be honest, even Yamaguchi did not know why he was trying so hard to look nice. He did not need a partner, especially if it was an Alpha, he felt that he was doing just alright.

As long as he has Emiko, he did not need a partner.

Still, something in him just wanted to dress up formally for the occasion, and he constantly had the feeling that it would be worth it.

He took a look at the clock and realised that it was about time to leave.

Though, his mother was not here yet.

Feeling paranoid, he decided to check his things once again before he left.

_Wallet? Check. Cash in the wallet? Check. Phone? Check. Tissue paper? Check._

Just as he finished re-checking everything, the doorbell rang. Yamaguchi opened the door, and a women with light green hair and wrinkles on her face greeted him with a wave.

" Mom!" Yamaguchi said, hugging her. His mother, Kitoya Yamaguchi returned the gesture.

" My, my, my, Tadashi... Aren't you looking great today?" she nudged him, squeezing his cheeks.

" Mooooommm... " Yamaguchi tired to pry off her fingers. " I'm going on a dateee."

" Huh? Really? I thought you said you were fine like this..."

" Yeah... I did... But my friend really wanted me to go, I guess... It's alright though, I'm not expecting to come out of the restaurant with a potential partner. I don't even think I'm going to spend that much today... "

" Whatever you say, Tadashi. I trust that you will make the right decisions. " Kitoya patted his shoulder as she stepped into the house.

She placed the plastic bag that she was holding on the table, letting the contents spill out of it. She told Yamaguchi that she bought some herbs for him and Emiko, as well as some delicious fruit that they could enjoy later.

" Grandma! " a little voice called from below.

Gushing, she picked up Emiko and carried her, talking about how cute and adorable she was, and that she should start visiting them more often. Emiko was equally as happy to see her Grandmother, as she played with her Grandmother's hair with a bright smile.

Yamaguchi sighed. " Mom...?"

No reply.

He chuckled and shook his head. _Guess grandparents do love their own grandchildren more than their children._

_Guess it was the right decision to ask her to take of Emiko. It's been a while since they had last seen each other..._

Shouting a little louder, he said, " I'm leaving now! Bye!"

" Bye-bye mummy!" Emiko was the first to react, followed by his mother.

" Stay safe, Tadashi..."

Giving her a firm nod, he closed the door shut.

**∾❃∾**

Yamaguchi took the bus to the area, which was so crowded. It was unusual, seeing as it was always empty and quite spacious. That's one reason Yamaguchi likes to take this bus. He could smell the different scents in the bus. He felt stuffy. It also did not help that this road had a lot of turns and bumps, resulting in Yamaguchi holding on to the pole beside him for dear life, as the other passengers leaned against him for support. He did not like it. Too crowded for his liking. He found himself constantly reaching for his scent patches to see if they were still there on his skin, as he counted the number of stops to his destination.

He wanted to get off this bus immediately.

Yamaguchi was one of the first people to step out of the bus, and he finally felt free. He took a breather and he had never felt so glad to be able to breathe in nature's scent.

He walked down the pavement, enjoying the scenery of the area. And leaves were a right shade of green, flowers blooming. The shops located at the sides sold many attractive things, and Yamaguchi had to reprimand himself for nearly buying something useless. He should really come here more often.

It took a while before Yamaguchi realised he was lost, forcing him to take his phone out and refer to Google for directions.

**∾❃∾**

Staring at his phone, he mumbled, " It should be somewhere around... Here? "

He looked up and saw the restaurant. It looked pleasant. On the outside, it had a cute, pink coloured teddy bear sitting on a stool, and flowers were hanging down from the sign that was connected to the roof.

Sweet treats cafe.

_This was the place._

Gulping, he calmed his nerves down.

_It's okay, Tadashi. You can do this. Tell them you have a daughter, it usually makes them back away. No one wants to take care of a child that's not biologically theirs. Plus, there's a high chance that I can't even-_

_Nope, don't think about it Tadashi. Don't._

Upon entering the cafe, the interior of it blew his mind. It was even better than he had imagined! Each chair had a soft cushion and the tables were decorated by a rose in a simple, white vase. Looking at the desserts in the food is play cabinets, his eyes lit up in excitement and he felt his mouth water.

_Wait. Focus. Yamaguchi furiously shook his head._

Turning his head back, he made his way through the crowd.

_Now, table 10...table 10..._

_Ah! There it is!_

A man with dark brown hair and honey-coloured eyes was sitting on a chair, scrolling through his phone. He wore a relaxed expression, eyes moving left to right in a slow manner as the light from his phone was reflected on his thinly-framed glasses.

Letting out a breath that he did not realise that he had been holding, he went up to greet him.

" H... Hello, are you Fumijiro-san?" Yamaguchi nervously greeted.

The man looked up from his phone, eyeing Yamaguchi from head to toe, before deciding to turn off his electronic device.

" Yes, I am. Are you by chance Yamaguchi-san?"

" Yeah... Hi..." Yamaguchi pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.

" I was waiting," Fumijiro smiled as he pushed the menu in front of Yamaguchi. " What do you want? My treat. "

" It's okay, " Yamaguchi declined his offer " I should pay for my own food. "

Nodding his head, Fumijiro raised his hand, hailing for a waiter.

**∾❃∾**

Yamaguchi stared blankly at the table. He was doing it! He was on a blind date! He tried his best to calm his nerves, but still could not help but feel jittery all over. He felt like he was going to take a super important examination!

_Reminds me of the first day I saw Emiko..._ Yamaguchi fiddled with his fingers from under the table.

" So, I assume you’re an omega? " Fumijiro asked.

" Yeah... You're an Alpha? " Yamaguchi snapped out of his train of thought as he diverted his attention back to Fumijiro.

_Concentrate, Takashi. Don't screw this up._

" You're right."

Oh boy, it was awkward. The way Fumijiro looked at him. It made him conscious of his body. It made him feel insecure about himself.

" So... Why find a partner?" Fumijiro took a sip of cold water.

" A-actually, my friend signed me up...And... As a matter of fact... I'm a single parent with a 5-year-old daughter. " It took Yamaguchi a whole lot of courage to finally get that out. It was much more difficult than what he had expected it to be.

" Oh? Yet you're not mated? Why? Who’s the father of the child?" Fumijiro raised his left eyebrow in curiosity straightening his back.

“ S-Sorry... I’m not feeling really comfortable to say that,” Yamaguchi winced. To be honest, Yamaguchi could not quite remember the exact details of the incident. He had been told countless times by Yachi that he did not need to worry about it. He has always felt that something in him was missing. Could it be due to the therapy sessions that he had been taking? 

“ Fine, it’s okay. You do look like a potential partner..."

" E-Eh? It doesn't bother you that I have a child?"

" Why? You have a great body. " He winked.

Yamaguchi felt the creeps as he said that. He is very straight forward, Yamaguchi noted. However, wasn’t he moving just a little too fast? Yamaguchi’s got to stop his heart from beating too fast! He felt his mind becoming foggy, as he felt himself wanting to leave. He really did not want to be in a relationship with someone. He felt that it was not safe. He wanted to just stay quiet for the rest of the date, wanting this to blow over quickly.

" Say... Why don't you be my partner? I can satisfy you during your heat. " Fumijiro continued, leaning in closer to the table. He had that particular smug smirk on his face. Yamaguchi frowned at that, he felt like slapping that smile right off his face.

Thank goodness Fumijiro is only releasing a slight bit of his pheromones, if he had released more of it, Yamaguchi would have darted out of the place already.

Fumijiro's eyes observed his body. It made Yamaguchi feel disgusted and irritated. He leaned back into the seat, looking elsewhere. He felt violated of his own personal space.

_“Omegas are supposed to be our toys to begin with, hm?” The voices behind him laughed in agreement._

Yamaguchi tensed up and shivered, as he took quick, short breaths.

Omegas aren't your toys. He bit his bottom lip.

" Sorry. I haven't had my heat in years." Yamaguchi forced a sweet smile as he looked down. He wanted to get out of here.

" Irregular heat to this extent? Then, once your heat comes, it'll be harder on you, right? Then I'll be here." Fumijiro leaned closer, hand reaching for Yamaguchi's face. The scent he was releasing was getting stronger.

It's affecting him.

Yamaguchi desperately wants to run away, but he's stuck to this stupid chair like a fly in a spider's web.

" N-No, I'm saying that I can't -" His eyes widened.

" French fries and a slice of blueberry cheesecake?" the waiter asked, holding a tray with the said stuff.

Fumijiro retreated back, and Yamaguchi felt so grateful for the interruption. With a nod from Fumijiro, he began placing down the food before bowing and walking off.

" Now, what were you saying? " Fumijiro stared at Yamaguchi.

" I...I need to go to the washroom... Please excuse me." Yamaguchi abruptly stood up, not caring if the noise he made attracted attention from others. He left the table immediately, not looking back.

He felt so uncomfortable!

_I did not sign up for this!_

He entered the washroom and washed his hands with soap, trying to calm down at the same time.

_It's okay, Tadashi, maybe if you hang out in the bathroom long enough he'll leave?_

Suddenly, one of the cubicles opened the door.

A tall man wearing a black blazer with a white button-up shirt stepped out of the cubicle.

" T... Tsukki?! " Yamaguchi gasped.

The man looked up from his sleeve.

" Yamaguchi?"

" W... What are you doing here?" Yamaguchi turned off the tap, looking at Tsukki from the mirror.

" I'm on a blind date, but... My supposedly "date" bailed on me the last second. What about you? " Tsukki walked forward to wash his hands as well.

" Well, my friend set me on a blind date as well, but... So far... It's making me uneasy. " Yamaguchi looked down at his hands and clenched them as he shivered from what Fumijiro had said.

" Do you want to get out of here? " Tsukki asked, upon observing Yamaguchi's actions.

" Oh please... It'll be difficult to, we have to get pass a huge crowd... Plus, that guy would definitely see us... Then... I'll feel bad..." Yamaguchi was going to start rambling on how guilty he would feel, when Tsukki cut him off.

" Well, there's a back door that we could leave from... " Tsukki suggested.

Yamaguchi perked up. " Really?"

Nodding his head, Tsukki reached out for Yamaguchi's sleeve, which was now a little damp from the water.

" Let's go? "

" Yeah! " Yamaguchi let Tsukki grab him gently by the wrist, and Tsukki guided them out of the place.

Yamaguchi felt a foreign feeling deep down in his heart.

**∾❃∾**

This was definitely going well. He was glad he came.

Tsukishima looked at Yamaguchi as they exited the cafe through the back door, and walked for quite a distance before coming to a stop in the middle of a busy pathway.

He wanted to release his scent around him to assure him that it was alright, but seeing his reactions around Alpha's, he refrained himself.

The last thing he wanted to do was to make Yamaguchi scared of him.

Maybe that way, Yamaguchi would think that he was a beta and warm up to him further.

" Where do you want to go?" He finally decided to ask.

" Hm... I feel like going to - mph "

A woman had accidentally knocked him into Tsukishima's arms.

(It was probably a wiser decision to have stood at one side rather than the middle of the pathway, Tsukishima reflected on later.)

Everything was in slow motion. Yamaguchi landed onto Tsukishima's chest, and Tsukishima had to step a step back from the impact to steady himself. His protectively wrapped his arm around Yamaguchi, as he felt himself knocking into someone.

" Ofph." Yamaguchi's voice was muffled as his whole face was pressed against Tsukishima's clothes.

Quickly giving a bow as she apologised, the women hurriedly left.

Tsukishima his head around to apologise to the person that he knocked into, but there was no one behind him anymore.

" Are you alright?" Tsukishima immediately asked, trying to hide his embarrassment when he felt a movement in his arms.

Feeling a slight push from Yamaguchi he looked down and saw that his face was painted red.

_How adorable._

" Y... Yeah! I... I'm alright!" He stuttered while looking down at the cement floor, hands keeping to himself.

A grumble from his stomach made him jump in surprise and he blushed even further.

Tsukishima did not think that it was possible for someone to be this red.

" S-sorry! I did not have lunch..." He said bashfully, avoiding Tsukishima's gaze.

" I know someplace where they serve nice food. " Tsukishima recommended. He did come to this place quite often with his family and friends.

" Really?"

" Yeah, it just a few blocks from here."

" C-cool! Lead the way, Tsukki!"

Turning away from Yamaguchi, Tsukishima started walking off, slightly faster than his usual speed. _How could someone like Yamaguchi still be single?_ He's the prettiest person Tsukishima's ever seen.

He came to the conclusion that there was something wrong with everyone's eyes and taste in partners.

**∾❃∾**

After a long wait, they finally got seats and ordered their meal. Both of them got pork ramen, thanks to Tsukishima's recommendations. They also got Amazake to go with the food as well.

" Itadakimasu! " Both of them said at the same time before digging in.

Yamaguchi headed for the soup, and his eyes lit up in delight as the warm, thick and spicy broth slid down his throat.

" This is so good, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi beamed as he tried the noodles. The noodles did not fail to meet his expectations as well.

_So chewy!_ Yamaguchi thought as he picked up more noodles with his chopsticks. Tsukki nodded his head in agreement.

" I-I can't believe this is my first time hearing about this store! This ramen is the best I've ever had!"

" Yeah, heard that they have their own secret, unique recipe that they don't share."

" Oh..." Yamaguchi drank the Amazake.

They continued eating in silence, enjoying each other's company.

**∾❃∾**

Tsukki, of course, was the first one to finish his meal. Leaving his seat for a while, he came back with a slice of strawberry shortcake.

" Is it that nice?" Yamaguchi giggled, watching Tsukishima's mouth move slowly, savouring every bite.

Swallowing his food, he pushed his piece of cake towards Yamaguchi.

" Here, try some. It's not the best in this area, but it's considered quite cheap compared to the other areas that sell this type of cake. "

" O-okay..."

Yamaguchi took a small bite. His expression instantly brightened up. " Mmm! It's delicious, Tsukki!"

" I can give you the rest if you like it that much."

" Nah, it's alright, I'm going to get some myself."

Yamaguchi quickly drank the remaining broth in his bowl and stood up to head towards the cashier. _Will Emiko enjoy this too?_ He grinned as he pictured her delighted face upon seeing the sweet dessert.

However, when he looked at the cost, he backed away.

He thought about how Tsukki said that this was cheap. _Cheap my ass! It's pricey!_ _I guess I'm not surprised though, it was very tasty..._

_... I think I'll just buy two for Emiko and mom._

" Sorry to keep you waiting, shall we go?" Yamaguchi looked at Tsukki, who was on his phone.

" Sure." Tsukki stood up and together, they left.

**∾❃∾**

" Do you want to go anywhere?" Tsukki asked as they walked back to Sweet Treats Cafe, as he had parked his car somewhere around there.

The sky was slowly turning into an orange and pink ombre colour. Yamaguchi was mesmerised by the change.

It was currently 5 pm in the evening, and Yamaguchi decided that he should actually start going home, till he heard chatters nearby. He looked at where the noise was coming from.

_A... Festival?_

The once open area near them was filled with stalls, fairy lights hanging from each of them. It looked pack. Some people were chatting and eating cotton candy, while the others were playing games held by each of the stalls.

It looked fun, but...

" Do you want to go there?"

Yamaguchi looked up at Tsukki.

" No.. I don't do well in large crowds..." Yamaguchi glanced back at the crowd.

" Are you sure? You look like you really want to go there..." Tsukki observed Yamaguchi.

N... No... I don't feel like going." Yamaguchi stubbornly said as he turned away.

" You're not really that good at hiding your emotions, you know? It's written all over your face. " Tsukki playfully flicked Yamaguchi's forehead, causing a yelp from the omega.

" Ouch, Tsukki! " Yamaguchi scowled at him, rubbing the spot on his head.

" I didn't even hit you that hard... " Tsukki sighed and instinctively did just like what his mother always did to him when they had a small injury.

He pulled away Yamaguchi's hand and kissed the spot. Softly.

_H-huh?_

Shocked, Yamaguchi instinctively slapped Tsukki's face away. Hard. Yamaguchi's hand itched from the aftermath.

Now, it was Tsukki's turn to feel pain. It was an unpleasant feeling.

" O-Oh my goodness, w-what have I done! I am sooo sorry!" Yamaguchi realised what he did and profusely apologised for his reaction. He could not believe that he just slapped Tsukki like that! That hard!

**∾❃∾**

" Ouch! What the-" Tsukishima's eyes widened when he realised what just happened. _Ah-ha. I screwed up._

Yamaguchi was frantically apologising to him, face filled with worry and guilt.

" A-ah. Shit. No, I am very sorry for my doings, I didn't know why I did it. Yeah, I really deserved that slap. No, it's not your fault Yamaguchi." Tsukishima rubbed his temples. Hell, what was he thinking? That was so irrational. So unlike him to just randomly kiss someone out of nowhere. Why did he do that?

W-why was Yamaguchi still apologising for? It wasn't his fault.

" O-okay, first of all, no, I don't need to go to the hospital, Yamaguchi. Stop overreacting. I'm alright." He frowned as he looked at Yamaguchi, who really looked like he was going to cry.

" B-but Tsukki! That was a loud hit! You didn't deserve it! Oh my goodness, I did something terrible! " Yamaguchi continued to insist that he was at fault, looking at his face which was still red and sting slightly.

Rolling his eyes, he firmly placed both hands on Yamaguchi's shoulder. " Shut up, Yamaguchi."

" S-sorry, Tsukki! " Yamaguchi squeaked and he instantly stopped.

" Thank you, " Tsukishima said before stopping. " Wait, no- why on earth are you apologising for? It's my fault. My. Fault. I should not have done it. It was stupid - no Yamaguchi. Don't give me that doubtful look. We all know very well that it's my fault. Say it with me - Tsukki is wrong." Tsukishima slowly spoke the last few words, exaggerating them. He is very certain that the last time he spoke this much at one go was two weeks ago, to settle a date for a collaboration with another company. He felt weird speaking this much. In the company, unless the need rises, Akaashi is usually the one speaking for him while he makes the final decision.

" W-what! No, but still, I should- fine. Tsukki is wrong. " Yamaguchi reluctantly said, looking away.

Tsukishima nodded firmly before releasing his grip. That was at least settled. This was something he knew that he would never get over. He could just imagine the future days where his mind would wander back to the incident and he would give himself a faceplam. If Kuroo was here, he would definitely be making fun of Tsukishima. The laughter, oh that annoying, loud, laughter, he could already hear it from a distance at the back of his mind.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a sharp ringing of the bell from one of the stalls.

Glancing back at Yamaguchi, he said, " Anyways, what if I stayed beside you all the time, and prevent anything from happening to you? Would you participate in the festival?"

Yamaguchi looked uncertain. " Um..."

" Come on, we all know you want to."

No reply.

" Fine, let's go home, my car’s parked around the corner, anyways. " Tsukishima looked at him once again, before taking a step forward.

" Promise? " he heard the omega's soft voice.

Smirking from winning the argument (was there even one to begin with?), he turned around. " Promise."

Tsukishima took another step forward. " Come on, we don't have all day."

Taking a deep breath, Yamaguchi followed Tsukishima into the large crowd.

**∾❃∾**

It was packed. Packed to the brim. It was noisy as well. People were hustling and bustling here and there, having the time of their lives. They slowly weaved through the crowd, being mindful of their surroundings.

Yamaguchi flinched when he smelled the overwhelming strong scents of other people, but with a quick squeeze of Tsukki's hand, he found himself calming down. They walked slowly at first, for Yamaguchi wanted to get used to his surroundings. After his feelings settled down, he started to release his grip (a little) on Tsukki as he looked around.

" Mmmmm..." Yamaguchi raised his neck into the air as the scent of common festival food wafted through the air. It smelt like heaven.

There was Takoyaki...

Okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes)...

Yakitori (Grilled chicken on a stick)...

Yamaguchi feast his eyes on the festival food, feeling his mouth water as he took glances of the food that other people were holding. Yamaguchi slowly let himself get caught up in the festive mood, staring in awe at the different prizes to be won.

Within seconds, he found himself dragging Tsukki along with him around the area.

" Woah! Tsukki look!" He excitedly pointed at the long queue on one of the stalls.

" We need to go there to see what's it about!" He added, pleading Tsukki with his eyes.

" Slow down, will you?"

" No way, I'm gonna -" He got pulled inwards by Tsukki just before he got hit by a group of people walking pass them.

That jolted him back to reality. 

_Right. There's a lot of people here. Forgot about that. I need to stay cautious._

" Careful." Tsukki deadpanned.

" Sorry... " Yamaguchi replied sheepishly as he fiddled with his fingers.

" Are you okay? We can go if you want to..."

" Yeah, no worries, I'm fine... I guess it's one of the effects of not doing well in crowds..." Yamaguchi forced a grin.

Seeing that Tsukki was not convinced, Yamaguchi added, " Come on, let's go and play other games, alright? Since we're already here, let's have more fun! "

Before Tsukki had time to react, Yamaguchi was once again dragging him off.

Yamaguchi failed to realise that Tsukki was a very observant person, because Tsukki took note of everything - from the way Yamaguchi tried so hard to stay composed in front of him, to the way his hands were shivering slightly as they walked.

**∾❃∾**

They played games like Kingyo Sukui (goldfish scooping) and Wanage (ring toss) and Tsukki won all of them by a good number of points.

" Woahh... Tsukki, you're so good!" Yamaguchi complimented him.

" It just takes practise." Tsukki responded while smiling.

Yamaguchi could not but feel slightly envious. He kept challenging Tsukki again and again, trying to copy his movements, but kept getting crushed in the end.

In the end, Tsukki was the one who walked away with soft toys, while Yamaguchi walked away empty-handed.

Tsukki took pleasure in teasing Yamaguchi, waving the big, toy bear in front of his face. Yamaguchi pouted, shooing the bear away and squeezing Tsukki's hand even tighter for revenge.

Yamaguchi had nearly forgotten how Ringo-ame (apple coated with sugar) had tasted like. He looked at the red colour sweet treat, it looked so appetising. Grinning from ear to ear, he munched on it to his heart's content.

Really, how long has it been since he had last came to a festival?

" Mama! Papa!" He heard a young girl calling out to her parents. " I want to go there!"

He looked like the girl and her parents disappeared into the crowd, chatting away.

_That's right... Emiko's never been to a festival before. She would love it..._

Yamaguchi’s gaze lingered on for a little longer. None of them has ever brought up the idea of going to a festival. Even when they came across one before, Emiko never mentioned it, and Yamaguchi was too afraid to even participate in it.

_Ah..._ He remembered.

" You know... Are you good with kids? Because Emiko has taken a liking to you since the first time she saw you, which is actually quite uncommon for her to do that. " Yamaguchi turned to Tsukishima, who was taking a sip of Ramune(sweet and refreshing soda), and stared at him in curiosity.

" Really?" Tsukki sounded amused as he stopped sipping on his drink.

" Yeah..."

" That's surprising. My brother has a child, and whenever I go visit them, his child tends to run away from me like I'm a monster." Tsukki looked so fed up with life. 

" Pff..." Yamaguchi could not help but giggle, hand covering his mouth in an attempt to cover it up. It is the thought that just cracks him up. " Maybe it's because of your height? You don't exactly show a lot of emotions at one go as well. " Yamaguchi pointed out, poking Tsukki's cheek while Tsukki held a stoic expression.

" Maybe it is..." He moved his face to the side.

" Well, at least now you know that a child isn't afraid of you...? "

" Hm... I guess it an accomplishment? "

" Haha, guess it is..."

_Boom!_

The fireworks startled both of them. Tsukki held Yamaguchi on the spot as Yamaguchi jumped, ears not accustomed to the sudden noise.

Murmurs could be heard everywhere as people moved forward.

Tsukki led Yamaguchi forward, as they followed the crowd. Yamaguchi was unwilling, but when he turned around, he knew he had to keep going forward due to the mob of people at the back.

Looking up, they faced a spectacular sight. The fireworks were magnificent and huge, colours dazzling and shimmering in the sky, the cackling of fireworks drowning the conversation from other people.

Looking at Tsukki, he could tell that he was fascinated by the sight as well, although he was not showing that much expression.

Maybe it was the way that the light reflected off of Tsukki's face, highlighting his sharp eyes nose and jawline.

Maybe it was the way Tsukki seemed to be there when Yamaguchi needed help ( He found great comfort in that, he later realised.).

Maybe it was the fact that Yamaguchi was so exhausted that he could not think straight...

But Yamaguchi felt that Tsukki had never looked more charming.

**∾❃∾**

" Thank you, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi smiled with gratitude as he kicked a small pebble in the ground.

They were walking towards Tsukki's car, as he had offered Yamaguchi a ride home.

" Why?"

" Because... Without you today... I would have missed this opportunity to have this much fun again. I had a lot of fun...So...Thank you, Tsukki! " Yamaguchi bowed.

Grinning, Tsukki replied with a " Your welcome,"

Yamaguchi grinned back. Due to the fact that Tsukki was here, it felt like it was just a moment ago where they had first stepped outside of the cafe. Time flies really fast.

He had never felt so comforted and secured by a presence before. It felt... Nice.

He would not mind going out with Tsukki again. He would not mind going to crowded places again. Maybe this might help him overcome his fear of being claustrophobic.

He had the time of his life today.

And it's all because of Tsukishima.

**∾❃∾**

" Thank you for the ride!" Yamaguchi once again bowed to him.

" Your welcome, and... Here, Yamaguchi." Tsukki said as he stepped out of the car to reach for the bear in the back seat.

He nuzzled the bear up against Yamaguchi's face. " I-it tickles, Tsukki, wait!" Yamaguchi laughed till his stomach hurt as the fur of the bear rubbed against his neck.

" For you," Tsukki shoved the bear into Yamaguchi's arms when Yamaguchi was still recovering from laughing. " I don't have any use for it. "

" What about your brother's child?" Yamaguchi asked, a hand extending to give back the toy to Tsukki. "Besides, you won it, so keep it!"

" My niece already has a lot of toys, especially soft toys. I doubt giving her this would make a difference." Tsukki replied as he pushed Yamaguchi's hand back to himself.

Before Yamaguchi could reply, Tsukki was already opening the car door. " Keep it, Yamaguchi. Throw it away if you don't like it. Goodnight. " He waved at Yamaguchi through the window.

" G-good night, and stay safe, Tsukki! " Yamaguchi immediately waved without much thought, before he saw the car disappearing off into the night.

He observed the bear. He could not believe Tsukki would not want it. It was adorable! Holding it close to this nose for a tight hug, he smelt something. Furrowing his eyebrows, he sank his head deeper into the head of the bear. The smell was so faint, Yamaguchi could not identify what it was. But it definitely belonged to someone. Was it even possible to scent something this lightly? The person must have very good control over their pheromones to be able to do that.

The person must be very dominating.

_Hold up._

Yamaguchi lift his face out from the bear, confusion written all over it. Why was he so intrigued by the scent? It was nothing special. Usually, he would have just left it there.

Come to think of it, ever since he met Tsukki, Yamaguchi has been acting weird, especially today. He blushes more easily now, apparently, and he could not even believe he actually went to a festival! Filled. With. People. Yamaguchi shivered from the thought. Now he was smelling the bear, trying to figure out whose scent it belonged to, like there was no tomorrow.

To begin with, Yamaguchi did not even think that he could socialise with someone this quickly, it usually would have taken a few months, or about a year, for him to be that comfortable around someone. 

He pouted at the bear. " What's happening to me? Are you the cause of this, Mr bear? " he squinted, trying to get the truth out of the non-living creature.

Of course, there was no reply. Only the face of an innocent bear staring right back at him with a cute smile.

Sighing at his stupidity, Yamaguchi turned around the walked back to his apartment.

**∾❃∾**

" Hi mom, " Yamaguchi greeted as Kitoya answered the door. " Is Emiko asleep?"

" I'm afraid so, she waited for you on the couch till she dozed off. What took you so long? How did it go?" Kitoya ushered Yamaguchi into the house and told him to sit down while she got the fruits that she had cut beforehand.

" Well... I went out with a friend instead, because my date was making me feel uncomfortable." he sighed, placing down this belongings and taking off his belt and scent patches for comfort.

" Ah...okay then...The most important thing is that you had fun. " Kitoya reassured him, appearing once again with a bowl of sliced apples, peaches and watermelons. " Mom will always be here to support you no matter what, okay? " She gave a peck on Yamaguchi's cheek.

" Thanks, mom, you're the best, " Tadashi snuggled against her as Kitoya gave him a hug. "Are you staying the night, mom? It's getting late, you should stay."

" I'll stay, look, I've even bathed already! " she opened her arms wide for a moment and proceeded to scent Yamaguchi, who giggled. Yamaguchi scented her back.

" Oh, right." Yamaguchi broke away from his mother's grasp and reached out of the cake.

He dangled the cake in front of her.

" I bought cake for both of you guys. I'll go put it in the fridge, take it before you leave, okay, mom? "

" Aw... You shouldn't have... You take it, I don't need it." Kitoya smiled, shaking her head.

" Come on... It's so good!" Yamaguchi told her.

" Then the more you should have it. " Kitoya grinned as she gently nudged Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi smiled softly. His mother (bless her entire soul) was always so selfless, always putting his needs before her's. Always making sure Yamaguchi had the best of everything. Yamaguchi knew it was hard, seeing that he grew up without a father-figure for most of his life. His mother was a strong, independent woman. She raised him up single-handedly, always putting a smile on her face as she handled everything behind their backs.

His mother was the kindest person he knew. His role model.

Yamaguchi could never repay her the kindness and motherly love she had provided him with.

" Why don't we share? You have to try this, no matter what! I insist!" Yamaguchi nodded, trying to persuade her.

" Fine." She patted his head, sniffled a yawn.

" You should go to sleep, mom." Yamaguchi supported her up, and guide her to his bedroom. " I'll sleep on the extra mattress tonight. "

" Alright, alright, good night, Yamaguchi. Love you. " Kitoya rubbed her eyes without much protest as she was exhausted.

" Good night and have sweet dreams, mom, love you too. " Yamaguchi closed the door behind him.

A chime came from Yamaguchi's phone.

Wondering who could be texting him this late at night, he switched it on.

Tsukki : Have you reached home yet?

Yamaguchi smiled.

Yamaguchi : Yep! Thanks for today, I had tons of fun! ＼(≧▽≦)／

Tsukki : Welcome. I had fun as well, beating you at games, of course. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ

Yamaguchi : Tsukki! You're so mean! :(

Yamaguchi : Have you reached home yet?

Tsukki : Yes, I have.

Tsukki : It's pretty late, go to sleep, Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi : Yeah... I will... I'm pretty exhausted... Luckily tomorrow is Sunday!

Tsukki : Yeah, thankfully. Good night, Yamaguchi. Have a good rest.

Yamaguchi : Good night, Tsukki! Have a good rest too!ヽ(*⌒▽⌒*)ﾉ

_Ah..._ It's that funny feeling he has again, lingering in the corner of his stomach.

Sucking in a deep breath, Yamaguchi shook away the feeling. Putting down his phone, Yamaguchi went to do his nightly routine.

**∾❃∾**

Kneeling down beside Emiko's bed, he scented placed the bear beside her, hoping to surprise Emiko when she woke up. He shifted the strand of hair that was covering her tiny nose, and proceeded to scent her a little. Emiko shifted her position, before relaxing her facial expression.

So cute... Yamaguchi gushed internally and gave her a light kiss.

His phone lit up and vibrated.

_Someone from work?_

" Yamaguchi, oh thank goodness you picked up..." A relieved voice could be heard.

" Rojiya-san? What's the matter? Is my part of the project not suited?" Yamaguchi headed outside.

" Yamaguchi, please, could you help me finish off the project instead? I'm actually really busy right now...with family issues... Please... " the voice sounded so desperate.

Yamaguchi hesitated. He should have seen this coming. His worked with Rojiya Hijima a few times, and most often than not, he would be doing most of the work. The thought of complaining to his boss came to his mind quite a few times, but what could he do? He was an omega. The lowest in the hierarchical system.

" S-sure, send it to me..." He forced the words out of his mouth.

After receiving a word of thanks, he looked at the clock. 12 am. It was due at 8 am today. He entered his email and opened the document, eyes nearly popping out of his head when he saw how much needed to be done. It was as if no one touched it at all.

_Can I really do this finish in 8 hours? Oh, make that 7 hours and 59 minutes._ Yamaguchi yawned and he slapped himself awake.

_Stop it, don't sleep! You said you would complete it, do you better do it! Don't disappoint him! Don't let them hate you!_

Yamaguchi was so-called a "people-pleaser" often going out of his way to help others, even if it will most likely put him at a disadvantage.

He did not want more people to hate him. He did not want to experience eyes of distaste on him again. He tried so hard to make himself bearable, even though Hinata always told him that he does not have to do that, that he is likeable without trying. Honestly though, what does Hinata know - Hinata does not have those ugly freckles, does not have this dull shade of green hair, and importantly, Hinata is an extrovert and knows how to have fun. He blends in. Yamaguchi is really envious of people like him. To have the charisma to please others without much effort. Hinata even has a fated mate, something Yamaguchi knows he would never have. (Not like he needs one, anyways.)

Yamaguchi knows that he is not gifted with such things.

So Yamaguchi tries his best.

He guessed that this time was no exception.

Properly reading through the information on the slides, Yamaguchi knew that it was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I’ve not really been pleased with my writing these days :( I changed the storyline for this chapter so many times since I could not decide how the flow should be like, and now, this chapter is almost completely different than what I had in mind when I first wrote it! Still can’t really say that I’m please with it, but at least I know I tried... anyways, thank you for reading this chapter (It was wayyy longer than I had expected) , feedback is appreciated, and stay safe! :3


End file.
